Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing

This Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing is ready to eat in under 5 minutes. This kale salad is simple, yet full of flavor from the freshly grated Parmesan, lemon, garlic and extra virgin olive oil.  Serve this easy salad recipe as a side to your favorite meal, or enjoy it as is for a healthy lunch. 

Do you like kale salads? I am a big fan, however when I first tried kale salad a few years back I wasn’t sold on it.

Some kale salads are too tough for my liking. After some work I realize that massaged kale salads are my favorite way to eat a kale salad.

This Kale Salad Recipe with Lemon Dressing is my go-to salad when it comes to kale. The secret to my raw kale salad is getting the kale to soften.

To do this I use the lemon dressing and massage it into the kale for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the kale is soft.

By taking the time to massage the kale, you don’t only help with the texture, making it less chewy and more palatable.

But you also help the flavors of the lemony dressing infuse into the salad.  

Why You’ll Love this Easy Kale Salad Recipe

Here are more reasons it’s a must-try dish:

• Easy Preparation: This recipe is quick to prepare, the salad can be assembled and ready to enjoy in just 10 minutes. This is the best kale salad recipe in my opinion!
• Healthy: This salad is rich in fiber, and a variety of other healthy vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
• Versatile Recipe: This recipe is easily adapted to suit your own tastes, add some protein like grilled meat, seafood, tofu or pulses and you have a great salad main.

Kale is a versatile ingredient and can be added to a variety of different recipes. If you like salads check out my other salad recipes here. I love adding kale to smoothies like this Blueberry Kale Smoothie, in this Cheesy Kale Pasta, in my Smoky Kale Chickpea Farro Soup, or my Slow Cooker Turkey Kale Chili.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Kale: I used 10 ounces of chopped curly kale, this is roughly one bunch of kale, although bunch sizes vary.
• Oil: For the best flavor I always use extra virgin olive oil in the lemon dressing.
• Lemon Juice: I use fresh lemon juice in the salad dressing as it has the best flavor and helps to soften the kale.
• Garlic: I use freshly minced garlic in the salad dressing. You can skip it if you want but I think it really adds great flavor to the salad.
• Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds flavor to the salad.
• Seasoning: I keep the seasoning simple with some kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below. 

Recipe Variations

This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt if needed:

• Kale: I’ve used chopped curly kale in this salad, you could also use baby kale, lacinato kale or cavolo nero black kale.
• Leafy Greens: This recipe would also work well with other leafy greens like, spinach, chard or collard greens.
• Cheese: Swap the Parmesan cheese for some crumbly feta cheese or goats cheese, or a sharp white cheddar cheese.
• Fresh Herbs: Add a burst of fresh herb flavor with some chopped mint, dill, parsley, cilantro or basil.
• Vegetables: You can load this salad up with any vegetables you like. Try red onion, carrots,
• Protein: Try adding protein to the salad like some grilled chicken or fish.
• Plant-based Protein: Add plant based protein like some tofu, canned white beans, chickpeas or these Crispy Chickpeas.
• Nuts: Nuts add great crunch and texture to any salad try pecans, sunflower seeds, almonds, pine nuts or walnuts.  
• Fruits: When I make a kale salad I like to add fruit. Try dried cranberries, dried apricots or dried raisins. I also love adding apples.

How to Make Easy Kale Salad

Step 1: Mix Ingredients: In a large bowl put the kale, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, parmesan and salt.

Step 2: Massage Kale: Using clean hands start massaging the kale salad and continue to do this for about 3-4 minutes {you want the kale to reduce down to about half of what you started with}.

Step 3: Season Salad: Taste the salad and add pepper and continue to massage for another few seconds. Taste again and adjust seasoning accordingly.

Expert Tips for Perfect Kale Salad

• The most important step when making this salad is massaging the kale. It helps to soften the kale and infuses the salad dressing flavors into the salad. I like to use the dressing and massage that into the salad. 
• Take time to taste the salad dressing and the salad once it’s dressed. Proper seasoning makes a big difference to the flavor of the finished salad.
• If you have a Trader Joes near you, you can buy a 10oz bag of kale that has already been trimmed and the ribs removed.

Serving Tips

You can also serve this as a salad side dish, it works well with a variety of meat, poultry and seafood. . Try it with my Air Fryer Cod, Black Sea Bass, Baked Cod with Lemon, Mediterranean Baked Turkey Meatballs, or Mediterranean Skillet Chicken.

It also makes a great BBQ side salad, serve it with my Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Wings, Grilled Shrimp Skewers, Grilled Flank Steak, Spiced Honey Lime Grilled Chicken, or my BBQ Baked Pork Chops. 

Storage Tips

Once prepared, this dressed salad can be store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, however it is better for the first few days. Give the salad a good toss when you are ready to serve and possibly will need to add more olive oil and lemon juice.

Recipe FAQs

More Kale Salad Recipes to Try:

Vegetarian

Avocado Kale Spinach Salad

Vegetarian

Tropical Kale Quinoa Salad

Mediterranean

Kale Couscous Pomegranate Salad

Mediterranean

Kale Chickpea Salad